Eddie Fu’s Top 15 Rappers of the Last 15 Years
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The post Eddie Fu’s Top 15 Rappers of the Last 15 Years appeared first on Consequence.
It’s Consequence’s 15th anniversary, and all September long we’ll be publishing a series of retrospective pieces encompassing our publication’s own history — and the entertainment landscape in general. Today, New Music Editor Eddie Fu runs down his favorite rappers of the last 15 years.
What makes a great rapper? Even as we approach the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, there is no objective answer. Sure, you can judge by flow, lyricism, and songwriting ability, but even those are based on preferences. By nature, hip-hop has always pushed boundaries and innovated music, whether it’s been finding new ways to use turntables or reinventing how to use drum machines.
Many purists would argue neither singing nor Auto-Tune have a place in rap music, but hip-hop is about setting cultural trends. Just because a melodic style has become more popular doesn’t mean lyricism isn’t relevant anymore; the best rappers will find a way to do both. Besides that, there is a matter of beat selection. While clever wordplay and punchlines might be enough for some fans, production is at least just as important for others.
So, where do I stand on the topic? At one point, my only choices for the best MCs were Biggie, JAY-Z, and Nas. As a music fan and writer, however, I learned to take the approach of giving everything a chance, so while Hov himself tried to singlehandedly kill off Auto-Tune, Future is still one of the top rappers on this list. As for the rest, you’ll have to read on to find out.
15. Black Thought
Back in December 2017, Black Thought reminded music fans he was more than co-leader of The Tonight Show house band by freestyling for more than 10 minutes at Funkmaster Flex’s Hot 97 show. While subsequently stepping out on his own, the MC struck a balance between pure lyricism and more introspective songwriting on his ensuing pair of solo EPs and 2020 debut album Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Able.
Everything really clicked into place, however, when Black Thought finally put out the aptly titled Cheat Codes with producer Danger Mouse. Regardless of whether he is performing with The Roots or doing it on his own, Black Thought is one of the most reliable and proficient rappers of any era.
14. Rapsody
With a core philosophy of “Culture Over Everything,” Rapsody keeps her purpose as an artist simple. She wants to preserve the culture of hip-hop by telling stories over beats, and she’s done exactly that since being scouted by producer 9th Wonder while still in college. These skills have earned the respect of similar-minded artists, whether it was Kendrick Lamar recruiting her as the only rapper on To Pimp a Butterfly or other MCs like Black Thought, Raekwon, and Jay Electronica lining up to work with her as early as her mixtape days.
But it’s not as if Rapsody uses features as a crutch. Instead, they help accentuate her thought-provoking lyrics centering around the experiences of Black women. Rapsody’s complex rhyme patterns and clever wordplay pair perfectly with her choice of 9th Wonder’s modern boom bap production, allowing her strengths as an MC to shine through.
13. JID
Despite coming into music alongside fellow Spillage Village members EARTHGANG, it took JID seven years before he officially signed to Dreamville in 2017. Since immediately showing promise with his proper debut album The Never Story, the East Atlanta rapper has stood out among one of the most stacked rosters in hip-hop with his densely packed wordplay and ability to start and stop his delivery on a dime. He’s soaked up wisdom at every opportunity, using the lessons he learned from Mac Miller and J. Cole while making DiCaprio 2 to go super saiyan during the Revenge of the Dreamers III sessions.
Now he’s put it all together with 2022’s The Forever Story, an immediate album of the year contender that sees JID expressing vulnerability and expanding his storytelling without sacrificing the pure rapping ability that’s made him such an exciting artist. Given his drive to constantly pick up new tricks, JID is a sure bet to land even higher on the list in 15 years.
12. Megan Thee Stallion
Still early in her career, Megan Thee Stallion has risen like a phoenix since signing her first major label deal with 300 Entertainment in 2018. With raw freestyling ability, undeniable charm, and an outsized personality, the Houston rapper was an instant star. In just two years, she completed the trifecta of collaborating with Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, and most impressively, Beyoncé, but what has been most impressive about Megan has been her perseverance.
Between losing her mother and grandmother in the same month, record label woes, and allegedly being shot in the foot by Tory Lanez, Megan has had a lifetime’s worth of trauma. Nobody would blame her for crumpling under the pressure, but instead, she’s emerged as a better artist. No longer reliant on alter egos with her latest albums Good News and Traumazine, Megan has become an expert at processing her pain through music — whether it means getting vulnerable with fans or expressing defiance in the face of adversity.
11. Tyler, the Creator
Even Tyler, the Creator himself couldn’t have predicted his transformation from an 18-year-old horrorcore rapper and face of the disruptive collective Odd Future into a two-time Grammy winner. Following his initial growth as a producer and songwriter on his third project Wolf, Tyler took a leap of faith with 2015’s Cherry Bomb by doing his best N.E.RD. impression to a mixed reception from fans and critics alike.
With Flower Boy, however, Tyler’s maturation as a songwriter finally began to match his ambitions as a producer while opening up about his sexuality and unrequited love. He broke down the walls even further lyrically and sonically on IGOR, charting the journey of a relationship through an album that featured just as many melodies as rhymes. Not done with rap by any means, he came roaring back with the brash CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. No matter which direction hip-hop goes next, we can be sure Tyler will be leading the way.
10. Nicki Minaj
Coming off her breakout mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty and show-stealing verse on Kanye West’s “Monster,” Nicki Minaj shouldn’t have had to prove her abilities as a rapper. Due in part to unequal expectations for women in hip-hop, however, the Young Money rapper was unfairly criticized for “going pop” on her 2010 debut Pink Friday instead of being praised for her versatility as an artist. Rather than being deterred, Minaj doubled down on Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded with even more dance-pop songs and earned one of the most loyal fanbases in music by staying true to herself.
2014’s The Pinkprint remains Minaj’s most complete album to date. While making a return to her hip-hop roots, she got more vulnerable and even brought out Beyoncé’s inner rapper. Though a beef with Cardi B threatened to overshadow the release of the more uneven Queen four years later, Minaj still made a strong statement that she wasn’t giving up her spot among the rap elite as long as she wants it.
09. Vince Staples
Since taking listeners on a journey through his North Long Beach upbringing on his standout 2015 debut Summer ’06, Vince Staples has moved in unpredictable directions with his sound. With the avant-garde follow-up Big Fish Theory, he embraced electronic club music five years before Drake and Beyoncé hopped on the trend.
2018’s FM! was a whole different beast. Rather than aiming for the airwaves, Staples put together his own radio takeover — complete with skits hosted by LA staple Big Boy — for a brief, yet fulfilling love letter to West Coast hip-hop. Then, he unexpectedly took a u-turn with his 2021 self-titled album and its 2022 companion Ramona Park Broke My Heart, going back to basics by unflinchingly staring down his past.
08. Pusha T
Essentially forced to go solo after his brother and fellow Clipse member Malice found God, Pusha T landed in the cushiest spot possible by signing with Kanye West. After warming up with standout verses on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and the G.O.O.D. Music compilation Cruel Summer, the coke rap specialist showed flashes of brilliance on his first two solo albums, but truly didn’t become elite until serving as the leadoff man for West’s fabled Wyoming Sessions.
To fit Kanye’s seven-track mandate for Daytona, Push had to cut his essence as an MC down to the bone and raise his lyricism to match the opulent production. Following up with It’s Almost Dry four years later, he continued his evolution by bringing Pharrell back into the fold and tinkering with new cadences while delving into the consequences of drug dealing.
07. Denzel Curry
Former Raider Klan member Denzel Curry helped popularize the lo-fi, distorted sound for which the SoundCloud rap scene became known, but the past decade has seen him become one of the most fascinating minds in hip-hop. Beyond his prodigious talents as a technical rapper and storyteller, Curry has a natural ability to make listeners feel what he’s feeling, whether it’s memorializing friends or family members or opening up about his demons.
On his breakout album, 2018’s TA13OO, the Carol City product operated from a heightened state of pain and grief, unapologetically criticizing drug culture and clout chasing in hip-hop after the death of his friend XXXTentacion. The clouds began to part with his follow-up Zuu, a nostalgic trip back to Dade County, and the freeing Kenny Beat collaboration Unlocked. For 2022’s Melt My Eyez See Your Future, Curry went one step further by giving himself permission to break free from outside expectations. By making an album inspired by interests like Westerns, samurai films, and anime, he stayed true to himself while appealing to a wider fanbase.
06. J. Cole
Roughly a decade ago, J. Cole emerged alongside Kendrick Lamar and Drake to form the Big 3 of their generation of rappers. Whereas Lamar has earned the most universal acclaim and Drake remains concerned with appealing to a wider audience, the more workmanlike Cole has carved out a lane of his own by building up a devoted fanbase who helped him go “platinum with no features” and rewarded them with standout albums like 2014 Forest Hills Drive.
More recently, however, Cole has demonstrated a willingness to open up by collaborating with Atlanta rappers like 21 Savage and Offset. He also turned the recording sessions for Revenge of the Dreamers III into a defacto rap camp, inviting a wide range of artists including the likes of Young Nudy, Guapdad 4000, and Vince Staples. Though unexpected, this “MIDDLE CHILD” awakening that he’s “little bro and big bro all at once” has brought out a whole new dimension of the North Carolina rapper.
05. Freddie Gibbs
Already one of the most talented street rappers to emerge from the blog era on his own — see albums like Shadow of a Doubt for proof — Freddie Gibbs has elevated his game and set himself apart with the ability to equally adapt his bruising delivery to the experimental beats of Madlib and more traditional, yet still unorthodox production of The Alchemist.
The Gary, Indiana rapper and Madlib worked so well together on 2014’s Piñata that they reunited five years later for the arguably better Bandana. And one year after putting out the latter project, Gibbs once again stepped up his game by dropping the Grammy-nominated Alfredo, his second collaborative project with The Alchemist. During the lead-up to his next album, $oul Sold Separately, Gibbs has continued pushing his rhyming and songwriting abilities to new heights.
04. Future
Purists can downplay Future as a rapper, but he has torn off a pair of legendary runs. From 2014 to 2015, his trio of mixtapes Monster, Beast Mode, and 56 Nights set the stage for the toxic masterpiece DS2 and celebratory What a Time to Be Alive with Drake. In 2017, he went on another hot streak by dropping FUTURE and HNDRXX one week apart before teaming up with Young Thug for Super Slimey.
With rappers like Lil Baby having now taken over Future’s mantle, he won’t reach those heights again, but the Atlanta native was so prolific and his star burned so brightly at the apex of his career that his legacy is set in stone.
03. Drake
As much flack as Drake has taken for singing as much as he raps, chasing trends, and putting out bloated albums made for the streaming era, his contributions to hip-hop can’t be denied. Not only has he been a driving force in making it the most popular genre of music, but everything he does is under close scrutiny. When he co-signs an artist, everyone pays attention.
Thanks to his inescapable desire to make something for everyone, Drake’s abilities as a rapper often get overlooked. It’s easy to forget that the same artist who topped the chart with pop-leaning hits like “God’s Plan” and “One Dance” has also released lyrical tracks like his AM/PM series and held his own alongside wordsmiths like JAY-Z, Lil Wayne, and Rick Ross.
02. JAY-Z
After coming back like Jordan wearing 45, JAY-Z hasn’t been as unimpeachable during the past decade and a half as he was before his premature retirement. However, he still dropped two classics (American Gangster and 4:44), two blockbuster joint albums (Watch the Throne and Everything Is Love), and coaxed Jay Electronica into dropping a full-length project by contributing extensively to A Written Testimony.
So while JAY-Z currently spends most of his time as Shawn Carter and isn’t as consistently great every time he steps into the recording booth, the “corner boy with the corner office” has continued to lay the blueprint (pun intended) for veteran rappers.
01. Kendrick Lamar
In less than a decade, Kendrick Lamar cemented his permanent spot in the greatest rapper of all time conversation. After releasing a classic major label debut in good kid, m.A.A.d city, he expanded his musical palette and worldview with To Pimp a Butterfly, earned a Pulitzer Prize for DAMN., and curated the soundtrack for Black Panther, perhaps the most culturally significant superhero movie of all time.
With that resume, Lamar could’ve easily stepped away permanently, but instead, he returned with the sprawling Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Lamar’s farewell to TDE paints the portrait of a deeply flawed man who wants to make it clear that he doesn’t belong on a pedestal. Far from being done working from himself, the ever-evolving Lamar lives up to the hype every time he drops a new album.
Eddie Fu’s Top 15 Rappers of the Last 15 Years
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